On many or most of the OFC fishing access properties leased from private owners in Oregon, what those members have actually purchased is the right to cross the designated private property and stand on the river bank and fish from above the mean high water mark. What many or most of those paying members are not aware of is that they have not purchased exclusive rights to fish that water; which they may have been led to think. Non-members can wade in from a legally accessed point and fish the same water if they stay below the 'mean high water mark'. And boaters can legally set their anchor on the river bottom to fish that same water, or certainly pull plugs or cast drift rigs while the oarsman holds them there - ethically so if they get there first. Of course this infuriates the OFC members, who most often try to misinform to intimidate non-members from fishing those holes they think they bought. ...

As for whether that's worth $400 dollars a year to someone is likely dependant on whether the easier access is worth that - and also if the particular holes they get to fish are getting non-member fishing activity there or not.

In past debates on this subject it has been credibly argued and correctly presented that any river deemed to be legally navigable, or that fits the lawful description pertaining to river navigability, can be legally fished standing below the MHWM or from a boat. Court challenges to this by some river front property owners have brought forth rulings that the river they live on now becomes a registered navigable river; to their dismay and disdain. More aware property owners now are thus more apprehensive to have guys fishing below the MHWM arrested by the local sheriff, and wind up in court having 'their' river deemed navigable - which most NW rivers with salmon and steelhead runs in them qualify for. This is just unfortunate for the greedy people that believe God and nature's rivers and fish can be bought and kept away from all other's.

On the other side of the coin, I believe in having much harsher penalties for those that abuse private property by damaging or litering it! This slob disrespect of private property is likely the bigger of the two main reasons we have lost so many river access points to 'No Trespassing' postings. The other reason is due to selfish greed.

That's my informed and slightly left of center opinion.

RT